Echoes
by Fai's smile
Summary: Short little ficlets mainly for Daily Prophet competitions, though there might appear fics for other challenges too. The title story is Echoes, where Cho is proactive, Cedric is sweet and we all know how it ends. The second one is a 'what if' fic starring one of the less known characters.
1. Echoes

**Disclaimer: I don't own author's rights of Harry Potter series and I make no money from this. I won't say no to virtual cookies or compliments, though. I do live off reviews.**

 **A longer AN is under the story.**

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 **Echoes**

" _Are you a Snitch?_ "

Cedric spluttered and, with enormous effort, managed to focus his eyes on Cho's rather than her half-done robe; the thoughts of congratulating her on a game well played had already evaporated from his head, along with everything else. He never knew breathing could be so difficult.

Cho smiled like a cat that got a canary as she continued: " _Cause I would love to catch you,_ " while stepping closer.

Cedric miraculously found his voice and managed to reply: " _Possibly, because I wouldn't mind being caught by you._ "

The kiss that followed had blown Cedric's mind. Later, they had both agreed that they should get to know each other better and that dating was the ideal way to do so. Each date between them started the same way: the moment they were out of earshot, one of them would say some cheesy pick-up line and they would laugh and kiss.

Cho's personal favourite was: " _Is that a Mirror of Erised? Standing next to you makes me so happy that I can't tell._ "

Cedric, on the other hand, insisted that he'd forever treasure the chance to be her Snitch. Of course, some of the lines came up with only slight variations during their time together, especially their favourites. Cho remembered all of them and every expression that had crossed Cedric's face during their little exchanges. How could she not?

She scrubbed angrily and uselessly at her tear-filled eyes. Why was she thinking of this? She was supposed to be preparing a speech for a funeral! She swallowed another sob and conjured a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks. She sighed; there was no way she was writing anything. Her eyes were so puffy, she could barely see. Her head and heart hurt something fierce. She could not stop crying.

She briefly considered using a cheering charm on herself but since she could swear she heard Cedric teasingly ask: " _Are you a cheering charm? Because the sight of you always cheers me up,_ " she swallowed a dose of Dreamless Sleep potion instead. She needed sleep anyway.

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 **This story was written for Daily Prophet competition from issue 2.**

 **Beater 2: Montrose Magpies**

 **Chaser 2's NOTP: Cho/Cedric**

 **Word count: 345**

 **Used pick-up lines:**

 **1)** " _Are you a Snitch?_ **" "** _Cause I would love to catch you._ **"**

 **2)** " _Is that a Mirror of Erised? Standing next to you makes me so happy that I can't tell._ **"**

 **3)** " _Are you a cheering charm? Because the sight of you always cheers me up._ **"**


	2. Good Deeds and Other Misfortunes

**Beater 2: Montrose Magpies**

 **Word count: 581**

 **Written fro DP competition from issue 3. More information on the competition is placed under the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I am not JK so I do not own author rights to the HP series.**

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 **Good Deeds and Other Misfortunes**

Sally-Anne Perks rounded a corner to find her way blocked by a laughing crowd. She pushed her way through with a sick feeling settling in her gut. That feeling intensified when she noticed that the Weasley twins were among the amused spectators. Sally could tell by their uncontrollable, unrestrained mirth that they weren't the instigators of whatever her fellow students found so funny.

She swallowed and pushed on. Sally rarely found amusement in the same things as her classmates, but at least the twins were seldom malicious.

Finally, she could see what the fuss was about. Her blood boiled.

" _Stop!_ " the yell slipped from her mouth without any input from her brain. Her eyes burned holes into their DADA professor as she summoned the poor, abused pet into her arms.

"Have you no heart? Throwing a little, defenceless ferret around like this?"

She cradled the shaken creature to her chest.

"That's abuse," added Sally for good measure. She might not have been daring enough to call him out on his torture of spider in the classroom but that was different. And not just because she loathed spiders.

"Now, now, no need to worry, Miss Perks," said the man gruffly. "That's not actually a ferret."

Sally felt blood rush into her cheeks. _Sweet Merlin,_ she just accused a retired Auror of animal abuse.

"Alastor!" exclaimed the stern voice of their Transfiguration Professor.

Sally had not even noticed her arrival. But looking at the strict witch now, she wanted to disappear because the thin line of these lips clearly spelt out McGonagall's displeasure.

"What could you possibly mean by that?"

"That it isn't a ferret but a student whom I was teaching a lesson."

If those lips got any thinner, they would disappear.

" _We do not,"_ said McGonagall in a voice that could freeze an active volcano, "use Transfiguration as a punishment, _ever_."

The snow-white ferret floated from Sally's gentle hold and changed into a pale blond boy.

Sally was sure she was red from head to toe, but thankfully, most eyes were on the dishevelled Malfoy, whose bright eyes were glaring daggers at Professor Moody. He was truly a sight - his cheeks were pink-red like a lobster, his hair was messy, and tears of rage and humiliation were leaking from his eyes.

Sally turned around while the others were still preoccupied and ran. _Morgana. Damn it_! She had cuddled that bigoted snake to her bosom in front of half of the school. She'd never live it down.

When she started to have trouble breathing, she locked herself in a nearby closet and cried in earnest.

 _Dear Helga,_ she just wanted to do the right thing. Why did it have to turn out like this? What would Malfoy do once he realised he couldn't get back at Moody? Would he go after her? She could easily imagine him, angry and indignant that a _mudblood_ dared to touch him. She shook her head in the darkness. Why couldn't she have just let it be?

She laughed bitterly, an eerily echoing sound in the small lightless closet. _Why had she opened her big mouth?_ She had floated through her years there as the unimportant shy girl in a yellow and black tie, and now she had gone and painted a big target on herself for one of the biggest bullies in the whole damned castle!

And become a laughing stock for the rest of student body for good measure. _Heaven forbid,_ she did something _halfway_!

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 **Daily Prophet mini competition from issue 3, QLFC season 5:** **Your task this fortnight will be to** **write a short story (of between 500–600 words)** **focusing on the scene that** **you would change.** **Show us what happened** **instead (whilst remaining below M rated).**

 **In my case that was:** What if someone came upon the famous ferret scene before McGonagall ad took offence on the treatment of an animal?


End file.
